Devices for coupling window sashes to each other



G. HOLM 3,381,991

DEVICES FOR COUPLING WINDOW SASHES TO EACH OTHER May 7, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. '7, 1965 DEVICES FOR COUPLING WINDOW SASHES TOEACH OTHER Filed Dec. 7, 1965 V 2 Sheets-Sheet t'-.

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United States Patent M 3,381,991 DEVICES FOR COUPLING WINDOW SASHES TOEACH OTHER Giista Helm, P.O. Box 41, Ransta. Sweden Filed Dec. 7, 1965,Ser. No. 512,071 Claims priority, application Sweden, Dec. 23, 1964,15,638/ 64 7 Claims. (Cl. 292--87) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A devicefor coupling a pair of window sashes to each other comprising ananchoring member, a resilient latch arm movably connected to theanchoring member and a locking member engageable by a hook integrallyaffixed to the latch arm, wherein the latch arm is stepwise shaped withthe ends thereof transversely displaced relative to each other so thatthe arm will flex longitudinally when the hook engages the lockingmember and will resiliently urge the sashes together when they arecoupled to each other.

The invention relates to a device for coupling a pair of window sashesto each other.

In the devices for releasably coupling window sashes to each other, ashitherto generally used, it is necessary to utilize a screw driver fordisengaging and closing the same in connection with window-Washing.Usually these known devices are not pulling the window sashes togetherand, moreover, they can disengage unintentionally.

The object of the invention is to create a device well adapted forcoupling window sashes togelher and being so as to allow disengaging andclosing by a simple movement of the hand without the aid of a screwdriver and being safely kept in closed position under a resilientclampin force.

According to the concept of the invention it should be possible toattain this object by utilizing a latch means of hasp type and with aresilient hook member, if the device could be made simple and compactboth regarding the hook-shaped latch arm and regarding the anchoringmember in which it is journalled, as Well as the locking member withwhich the hook proper engages. Now, the inventor has succeeded increating such simple and compact device by combining certain features inthe way appearing from the appendant claims.

One embodiment of a device according to the invention is by way ofexample diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fractional front elevation of the device as seen towards thevertical edges of the two coupled window sashes;

FIG. 2 is a fractional horizontal longitudinal section along the lineII--II in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the anchoring member as seen towards itsleft-hand end in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a coupled window, I indicating the placewhere FIG. 1 is taken.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates the sash of the insidewindow and 2 is the sash of the outside window. Moreover 3 indicates thelatch arm, 4 is the anchoring member for the same, and 5 is the lockingmember. The anchoring member 4 is disposed in a recess in the windowsash 1 and is fixed by means of screws 6. The locking member 5 isdisposed in a recess in the window sash 2 and is fixed by means ofscrews 7.

The locking member 5 is a body with a groove 8 made in the top surfacefor accommodating the latch arm 3, the hook 9 of said latch arm beingarranged to engage Patented May 7, 1968 over the outer edge of thelocking body 5. The anchoring member 4 is a body with a socket 10 madein the bottom surface, the latch arm being pivotally mounted in saidsocket with an enlargement formed at the end of the same. Theenlargement could be a pivot pin but in the preferred embodiment shownit is a ball 11. Towards the groove 8, the socket is open through a slot12 for the latch arm. A conical centering pin 13 on the anchoring body 4is arranged to engage in a corresponding hole 14 in the locking body 5.The anchoring body 4 and the locking body 5 are compression-mouldedelements, preferably of plastic.

The latch arm 3 together with the hook 9 and the ball 11 consists of acompression-moulded element of a somewhat resilient plastic (forinstance nylon), the hook 9 being resiliently clamped over the outeredge of the locking body 5 while resiliently pulling the bodies 4, 5together as much as allowed by the centering pin. The book 9 can engagein a depression in the outer end face of the locking body 5, and thehook 9 can be plateshaped and disposed at an oblique angle with respectto the latch arm, inclining towards the right in FIG. 2, such that thehook 9 with its free edge will engage with the outer edge of the lockingbody 5 while: resiliently yielding for the same. These edges on the hook9 and the locking body 5, respectively, should be bevelled or rounded.The latch arm 3 is provided with a grip 15' which is made in connectionwith the hook 9, preferably in the shape of a semicircular plate,constituting a convenient handle, so that the hook 9 can be easilydisengaged by rocking the same downwards in FIG. 2 or closed by rockingin the opposite direction. Although the latch arm 3 possibly could be astraight arm, it is preferred that the arm be stepwise shaped with theend-portion thereof supporting the hook 9, and the other end-portionthereof supporting the ball 11 transversely displaced relative eachother, as shown in FIG. 2, whereby the latch arm will have a certainamount of resiliency also in its longitudinal direction, permitting itto flex longitudinally.

In the closed position of the device the latch arm lies will protectedwithin the groove 8 in the locking body 5, and by the centering pin 13an exact alignment of the bodies 4, 5 in relation to each other issecured both in the vertical direction, so that the latch arm 3 isguided in the groove 8 without jamming, as well as in the horizontaldirection, so that a resilient engagement between book 9 and lockingbody 5 is always secured. The two bodies can be delivered while kepttogether by the latch arm 3, so that the carpenter in mounting thedevice can screw them to the sashes without special adjustmentoperations. If desired, the circular socket 10 can be closed by a filler18 in the portion adjacent to the bottom surface of the anchoring body4, after the latch arm has been mounted with the ball within the socket10.

The anchoring body 4 could be made with a height equal to that of thelocking body 5', but the anchoring body 4 can be made with a lowerheight than the locking body 5 and be recessed below the outer surfaceof sash 1, as shown in FIG. 2, for accommodating a concealing member 16thereover. As also shown in FIG. 2, the locking body 5 can be made witha thin flange 17, preferably semi-circular, extending inwards over thesurface of the sash 2, to provide a narrow space between the two sashes1, 2 corresponding to the thickness of a painted layer on each sash. InFIG. 1, the painted layers are indicated at A.

In order to insure that the latch arm 3 will remain in open position sothat the latch arm will not be broken, when the two sashes are placedtogether, the slot 12 can be made more narrow adjacent the front sidethereof, as shown in FIG. 3, for holding the latch arm open by 3 aWedging action, but preventing the closing of the arm by hand.

I claim:

1. A device for coupling a pair of window sashes to each othercomprising:

(a) an anchoring member attached to one sash and having a slot and aninternal socket therein, said slot communicating between said socket andone end of said member;

(b) a latch arm composed of a resilient plastic and having a ball and ahook integrally affixed to the opposite ends thereof, said ball beingheld by and movable within said socket so that the arm extends throughand is movable within said slot; and

(c) a locking member attached to the other sash and having a groove inone surface thereof and an outer edge, said arm being accommodatedwithin said groove and said outer edge being engaged by said hook tocouple the sashes to each other, said arm being stepwise shaped with theends thereof being transversely displaced relative to each other so thatthe arm will flex longitudinally when the hook engages the outer edge ofthe locking member and will resiliently urge the sashes together whenthey are coupled to each other.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said hook is plate-shaped andis disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the latch arm forresilient engagement with the outer edge of the locking member.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said latch arm includes aplate-shaped grip integrally afiixed to the same end of the arm as thehook.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein a conical centering pin isatfixed to said anchoring member and said locking member includes a holefor receiving said pin when the sashes are placed together so that thesashes will be aligned properly to be coupled to each other by saidlatch arm when they are placed together.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said anchoring member isrecessed below the outer surface of the 5 sash to which it is attachedfor accommodating a concealing member which is positioned thereover.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said locking member includes athin flange which exends between the sashes when they are coupled toeach other to thereby 10 provide a narrow space between the sashescorresponding to the combined thickness of a layer of paint on eachsash.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said slot extends from thefront to the rear of said anchoring 15 member and is narrower adjacentthe front of said member than the rear thereof, the narrower portion ofthe slot serving to hold the latch arm open by a wedging action so thatthe arm will not be broken when the sashes are placed together.

r MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

0 JOHN R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

